Black and lighter blue: Nicholas from remnantofgod.org
Darker Blue: Tara from endtimecog.net--November 2004
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1 Corinthians 5:7-8, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Truth is, we no longer need to sacrifice a Passover
lamb according to this passage. This is actually common knowledge among most
Christians of today. The exact same principle therefore applies to all the
Jewish feasts as they are indeed fulfilled already, just as the sacrifice of
the Passover lamb was fulfilled. This scripture shows that the apostles
indeed were keeping God’s feasts.
Jesus Christ is our Passover lamb.
The feast days were kept for many years by the early Christians. Since Jesus’ sacrifice replaced the animal
sacrifices, and He is now our High Priest, replacing the priesthood,
sacrifices on these days are no longer necessary. These days are NOT Jewish feast days; they are God’s feast
days. As for those who feel they are convicted to keep
these feasts, I am not seeking to change your minds. At the same time, I feel
I stand justified in that I see no reason for you to seek to change mine. Very
inconsistent! This man told us that
by keeping the feasts, we were mocking God!
I guess it just depends on his mood on a certain day. And he’s quite incorrect; by observing His
holy days, we are obeying Him.
They’re His days that He commanded to be observed forever. Satan has made people believe God hates
His own feasts. Satan has cunningly
replaced God’s holy days with the unholy holidays, such as Easter, Lent, St.
Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, etc. His weekly feast has even been altered,
from the seventh day to the first day.
Satan counterfeits everything.
We can trust God’s Word.
Sunday is the weekly rest day of this mainstream false Christianity,
but the Sabbath is the day of the LORD. Christmas, New Year's, Easter, and other
pagan holidays have come directly from Babylon, but the seven annual holy
days are the HOLY DAYS OF THE LORD! Let us forsake Babylon’s holidays (the
world’s holidays) and observe the true holy days OF THE LORD! For it is also written...
By the way.. the "sabbath days"
mentioned here are ceremonial feast days, and not the weekly Sabbath. First of all, the word “days” in this
verse is added. The King James bible
shows this fact. The words in italics
were not in the original text.
Sometimes, these italicized words are needed in order for a sentence
to make sense in the English language.
There are a few places, though, that the added words are not needed
and totally changes the entire meaning of the Scripture. Where it says, “but the body is of
Christ,” the word “is” is italicized, too.
Read the verses without the added words. It completely changes the meaning. Only the body of Christ should judge how we should keep the
holy days. This Scripture, in fact,
is a major PROOF that the early Christians still kept the holy days of
God. In most bibles, a footnote is
included where it says, “in meat, or in drink,” which says “for eating and
drinking,” which is the correct translation.
You’ll also see that “or in respect,” it will say “in part.” So, the verse would read, “Let no man
therefore judge you in eating and drinking in part of an holyday, or of the
new moon, or of the sabbath: Which ARE a shadow of things to come, but the body of Christ.” At the time Paul wrote this letter, there
were people known as Gnostics. They
believed one must “punish” the flesh.
They believed one could not allow themselves any pleasure. This verse has nothing to do with judging
whether one keeps the feast days, but rather letting no one judge you eating
and drinking (having a good time) on these days. It’s ironic how this Scripture is one of the major proofs that
Christians are to still keep the feast days, yet this is one of the first verses
mainstream Christianity uses to try to justify profaning God’s feast
days! The Gnostics were also into
angel worship. We see that in the
next verse (18) If you read on, it will become even clearer. Verses 20 and 21 criticize the Colossians
for being subject to ordinances, “touch not, taste not, handle not”. This backs up the “eating and drinking” on
the feast days. Paul was letting
these people know that it’s okay to enjoy God’s feast days! He didn’t want them to let people deceive
them and judge them for eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves on those
days. Now notice verse 22: “Which all are to perish {talking about
the ordinances};) after the commandments and doctrines of men?” AHA!
This is even MORE evidence that we should still keep God’s feast
days. This backs up even further that
verses 16-17 are not against the feast days.
Paul has been criticizing the Colossians for following “commandments
and doctrines of men.” We know that
the feast days are God’s commandments.
Then verse 23 says, “Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in
will-worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to
the satisfying of the flesh.” Paul is
saying that these things appear to show a humble person by that person
neglecting their body, but these things truly do not do anything to restrain
fleshly indulgence. In other words,
it’s useless for them to put themselves in misery by not enjoying God’s feast
days by eating and drinking and having a festive mindset about them. Anyone can do an Internet research on
Gnosticism, and they will quickly get a better understanding of what Paul was
dealing with here. Furthermore,
notice in verse 17 that these things are a shadow of things to come, meaning
something in the future. Just one
more shred of evidence that the Sabbath and holy days are still in effect! Many Sabbath keepers know the weekly
Sabbath rest foreshadows
the 1000 year millennial rest in the future when Christ returns. The annual
Holy Days/Feast Days FORESHADOW the whole of God's plan of salvation,
step-by-step. It is very clear that these Scriptures SUPPORT the observance
of these days; they do not do away with them. See
Leviticus 23:23-38 on this. Specifically verse 38 where it declares these
"sabbath days" are BESIDES the Sabbath of the Lord. Another easy to
see reality in this passage is. MANY like to claim that this passage is
speaking of the "Ten Commandments" because the "sabbath
days" is mentioned. But when looking at the ENTIRE verse, one realizes
that it is impossible for these "sabbath days" to be the same as
the weekly Sabbath day. Why? This passage is lumping both the "sabbath
days" together along with the "meat, drink, holy days, and new
moons." Where in the Ten Commandments does it speak of meat, drink, holy
days, and new moons? Leviticus 23:37-38 says, “These are
the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt
offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing
upon his day: Beside the Sabbaths of
the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all
your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.” This is very simple English. I really don’t see how anyone would think
these verses show that the Holy Days are no longer valid. What these verses are saying is that the
previous 36 verses laid out God’s feasts, which are holy convocations, and
that each person is responsible for making his required offerings on each
given feast day (holy day), IN ADDITION TO, or BESIDES the sacrifices
required each weekly Sabbath, and IN ADDITION TO, or BESIDES the gifts, vows,
and freewill offerings that each person gives to the LORD. Say, for example, a holy day fell on the
weekly Sabbath: a person would be
required to make the holy day offerings IN ADDITION TO or BESIDES the regular
weekly Sabbath offerings and sacrifices, and in addition to any gifts, vows,
and freewill offerings. Now, back
to the Colossians scripture: of
course the “Sabbath” in this verse is the weekly Sabbath! Would it make sense to say, “Let no man
judge you in eating or drinking in respect (or in part) of a holy day, or of
the new moon, or of a holy day?”
Would it make sense for me to say, “My favorite foods are tomatoes,
okra, and tomatoes?” I would simply
say, “My favorite foods are tomatoes and okra.” The terms, “holy days,” “feasts,” feast days,” and “Sabbaths”
(annual Sabbaths), mean the same thing.
Since holy days were already mentioned, Paul wouldn’t mention it
again! He wasn’t an idiot! And as far as the Ten Commandments are
concerned, where in the ten commandments is the condemnation of eating
unclean meats, or homosexuality, or bestiality, or rape, or kidnapping? All these things are sin, and they are covered
in the many statutes of the Ten Commandments. Unclean meats are covered under, “Do not murder,”
homosexuality, bestiality, and rape are covered under, “Do not commit
adultery,” and kidnapping is covered under, “Do not steal.” Well, in the same way, the holy days are
covered under the fourth commandment, the Sabbath commandment. The Ten Commandments are simply a
summary. We also have a simple two
commandments that sum up the Ten Commandments: Love God and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself. If something in the law shows love to God,
your neighbor, or yourself, then it STILL APPLIES! The Jewish feast days were a shadow of things to
come. They pointed forward in a prophetic manner as to what Christ would do
when He came to this Earth for us. I ask, why should we embrace or seek to
keep feast days that speak of things already done? My faith alone in the
"Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world" [John 1:29]
already proclaims that which the feast days looked forward to as fulfilled at
Calvary. Jewish feast days??? They are God’s feast days, for ANYONE who chooses
to obey him to observe. Even when
they were outlined in Leviticus, they were given to ALL TWELVE TRIBES of
Israel, and the bible continually records that God’s laws applied to any Gentile
who feared God, including the weekly Sabbath and the holy days. In fact, some of the feast days required the
believer to offer sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple did they not? How is that
possible today? How was that possible in fact since 70ad when the Jerusalem
Temple was completely destroyed by Rome? With this reasoning, why is this man
observing the Sabbath??!! Numbers
28:9-10 says, “And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year
without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering,
mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath,
beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.” Oh, hey look, there’s that word “beside”
again. There was a daily sacrifice
(see previous verses), and this is saying they were to do sacrifices and
offerings each Sabbath in addition to or beside the daily
offerings. In other words, the
Sabbath offerings didn’t cancel the daily offerings; they were to do
both. Anyway, the man who wrote this
article observes the Sabbath. He says
he doesn’t keep God’s other feast days (Sabbath is the first feast day….look
in Lev. 23), because they require sacrifices! Well, he has a dilemma here!
Each weekly Sabbath feast day, sacrifices and offerings were required. Secondly, who said the Jerusalem Temple HAD
to be used? God knows some people
live too far from Jerusalem to travel there each holy day. Deuteronomy 12:21 says, “If the place
which the LORD they God hath chosen to put his name there be too far from thee,
then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock, which the LORD hath given
thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in they gates whatsoever
thy soul lusteth after.” Just
because, under the old covenant, people did sacrifices on the Sabbath and
other holy days doesn’t mean we are required to today. Remember, Jesus’ sacrifice replaced
animal sacrifices, and He’s our high priest, replacing the priesthood. Read Hebrews, Chapters 7-9. Jesus did NOT abolish any of the feast
days: the Sabbath or any of the
others. So sacrifices have nothing to
do with what we are to do today. The
Jerusalem Temple has nothing do to with our responsibilities to obey God,
either. That’s shown by Deut. 12:21,
and also by John 4:19-24. Jesus told
that woman that a time was coming that people would not worship in that
mountain or in Jerusalem. They would
worship him in Spirit and in truth.
It really doesn’t matter WHERE a person is. Read Jeremiah 7:21-23.
God says he said nothing of sacrifices when he brought the
Israelites out of Egypt. He just
wanted them to walk in His ways. They
started learning his Sabbaths and holy days before sacrifices. David said in
Psalm 51:16-17, “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt
offering. The sacrifices of God are
a broken spirit: a broken and a
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” David understood that God wanted him to obey God’s
commands. This includes the Sabbath
and other feast days. See also: I Samuel 15:22; Isaiah 1:11-17; Hosea 6:6;
Matthew 9:13; Micah 6:6-8; Psalm 40:6; Hebrews 10:5-9; Proverbs 21:3; Mark
12:33; These scriptures and more like them clearly show that God never
desired sacrifices, but obedience.
Yes, this includes obedience to his holy feast days. He never
asked us to worship him the way we want to.
He wants us to worship him his way. Scriptures openly declare these feast days "nailed to the cross" in the following passage... Colossians 2:14, "Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" The feast days are against us??!! I don’t think so! How could they be? They outline God’s plan of salvation for
us! How could they be against
us? Let’s look at Colossians
2:14. When Jesus died, he was
suffering what should be our death penalty. When a criminal was crucified, a certificate of debt was
usually nailed to that person’s execution stake (cross). Remember what Jesus said? “It is finished.” The Greek word is TETELESTAI. Papyri receipts for taxes have been
recovered with the word TETELESTAI written across them, meaning "paid in
full". He paid our death
penalty, available to anyone who truly repents and starts obeying God. This verse is very easy to understand,
because it’s truly a common sense thing.
Also, the preceding verse alone explains it all. Never take anything out of context. It says, “And you, being dead
in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Aha! Right there, it says that he died for our trespasses! What was trespassed? God's law was trespassed, and Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice so that we would not have to die for our own sins. Remember, the sacrificial law was added for transgressions. He became the ultimate sacrifice, paying our debt for us.
These feast days / laws of Moses were ORDINANCES
penned on paper by Moses himself. Unlike the Law of God written in STONE by
His very finger. The ripping of the temple veil in Matthew 27:51 declares in
mountainous tones that these feast days were indeed no longer needed. The
Temple itself was no longer the residence of the Shekinah glory of the Lord's
presence when that Temple veil ripped. Before the rip, no man could enter
into the Most Holy Place but the High priest. Anyone else walking in there
would most assuredly DIE. Now however, any man can come before the Lord, for
the Temple is now YOU, the Christian! No, no, no. The ripping of the temple has NOTHING to do with feast
days. The temple was used for
sacrifices and offerings and had priests.
Jesus is our high priest and our sacrifice, but this has NOTHING to do
with feast days. Sacrifices were made
in the temple on the weekly feast day, the Sabbath, so does that mean the man
who wrote this article is going to stop keeping the weekly Sabbath? Want it prophetically BLUNT? Daniel the Prophet
declares the Feast Days as something that was to STOP the moment
Christ died on the cross... The only things Daniel 9:27 says would STOP
are sacrifices and oblations (offerings).
Where does it say that feast days, (including weekly Sabbath) would
stop? WHERE? If the holy days are abolished simply
because sacrifices were done on them, then the weekly Sabbath is abolished,
too, along with every day of the year! (Numbers Chap. 28) Prophecy itself confirms the feast days CEASED at
the time of the cross. In the "midst of the week" (3.5 yrs after
Jesus was baptised) the Temple veil RIPPED completely in two. At the exact
moment the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world"
spoke from His very lips, "IT IS FINISHED"-John 19:30 It is finished, tetelestai, paid in
full. What does this have to do with
holy days? His sacrifice replaced
animal sacrifices, but that has absolutely nothing to do with God’s
holy days. Picture this... You are looking for your friend who is said to be
behind your house working on your car. You look outside and all you see is
your friends shadow protruding from behind the house. You can see your friend
working on the car by watching the shadow. So you wait patiently for him to
finish. Suddenly your friend cry's out that, it is finished. You then
walk to the back of the house, and follow the shadow to your friend that
eventually leads directly to him. The feast days are no different. They
illustrated to the believers a glimpse of that which Christ was to do in the
future, and when He cried out, "it is finished" on Calvary, IT WAS! Think about this as well... There we NO Jewish feast days BEFORE the
Exodus from Egyptian bondage. And according to prophecy as well as Scripture
speaking of the time of fulfillment, they ended perfectly when Jesus
"finished" what He came to do for you and me, as well as all those
that kept those feast days in faith BEFORE Calvary. Read Colossians 2:16-17 again. This was written years after Jesus died. They ARE a shadow, not WERE.
The weekly Sabbaths, the monthly new moons, and
the annual/yearly holy days ARE all shadows. Remember, also, that these are God’s
feast days, not Jew’s feast days.
They were given to all the tribes of Israel, and Gentiles who knew the
truth were expected to also keep them.
Saying that Jesus said the holy days are finished is adding to
God’s Word. He didn’t say
that. None of the Fall holy days have
been fulfilled, and all of them are still to be kept. The spring feasts and holy days had their main fulfillment during Christ's first coming, and He fulfilled them on their exact dates. The fall feasts and holy days will be fulfilled during His second coming. There’s another fulfillment of Passover in
the future, which is a Spring holy day.
Jesus clearly said to continue to keep Passover, but I guess people
tend to overlook that. (Luke 22:19-20)
Notice in verses 16-18, Jesus said he would not eat thereof or drink
the fruit of the vine again, until it’s fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. That hasn’t happened yet. Look at Revelation 19:9. It says, “And he saith unto me, Write,
Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the
Lamb…” Christ died as our Passover
Lamb, but HE says that it will also be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God, and
it will be at the marriage supper.
Most prophecies have dual or more fulfillments. Another thing, the feasts DID
exist before the Exodus. When the Israelites were in Egypt as
slaves, over the years, they lost God’s laws. They worked seven days a week, and they had to go by the
calendar that Egypt used, instead of God’s calendar. God had to remind His people of His
laws. When they were still in Egypt,
God told Moses the true first month of the year. He then gave instructions for the Passover. Chapter 12, verse 14 says, “And this day
shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD
throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for
ever.” This was the first fulfillment
of Passover. God saved the
Israelites. Then Jesus came later and
became the Lamb to save us. It was
memorial for being saved from Egyptian bondage, and now we celebrate it as a
memorial of Jesus saving us from sin.
He told us to remember him when we keep the Passover
each year Could there be prophetic reasoning for such an end
time movement? Is it not being "prophesied" all over the
world by false prophets that a "third temple" must be rebuilt? Has
it not already been reported that the Roman Catholic church is performing
"animal sacrifices" on their altars in Africa? Are we to start
offering sacrifices again regardless of the fact that prophecy as well as the
reality of Calvary declares it is finished? Now he seems to get it. Sacrifices have ended. Not God’s holy days. Does not the "keeping of the feast
days" denote a "possibility" that Christ has NOT yet arrived,
therefore we need to look for another? Will this be used by Antichrist to
gather some of the flock into his camp? That I believe is the main issue
here. This is said by someone who doesn’t
understand God’s holy days and what they mean. They show God’s plan of salvation. Each step of God’s plan of salvation is pictured by his feast
days. Passover: Christ died for our
past sins as our Passover Lamb. Feast
of Unleavened Bread: Shows a
Christian putting sin out of his/her life and obeying God’s
commandments.
Pentecost/Firstfruits: Jesus
was resurrected as the first of the first fruits and made His Spirit
available to all. Feast of Trumpets:
Trumpets are sounded with plagues, when the last trump sounds, the dead in
Christ shall rise. Day of Atonement: symbolizes the reconciliation of God and
all humanity. Feast of Tabernacles:
pictures the millennium of peace on Earth.
The 8th Day: pictures Great
White Throne Judgment, right after millennium ends. Jesus died on the exact day of Passover, died for our sins, the
Holy Spirit came down on the disciples as they were celebrating Pentecost,
and now we’re in the summer, so to say.
All I can
see coming from keeping the feast days is a faith that may eventually learn
to embrace the "old leaven" of the Pharisee's. All the world knows,
they do indeed proclaim with boldness that Messiah has not yet come. And all
of Christendom can read for themselves... This Scripture shows that the early
church, who were true Christians, understood the meaning of the holy
days and kept them. They knew
that Christ was our Passover Lamb, and they knew the meaning of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, that it signifies removing sin from one’s life. How anyone would get from this Scripture
that the early church did not keep God’s commanded feasts is beyond me. Below is an answer to a question I sent "BibleInfo.com" regarding the feast day question. As soon as
I received it I felt it would be a good addition to this page as it covers
all I shared here and more regarding the Feast days. In order to understand why Christians don't keep
these feast days we need to know what they represent and the reasons God had
His people keep them. I'll present below the five major festivals of the
Jewish calendar year. Then I'll discuss their meanings and the reasons why
Christians don't keep each one. There were three festivals to which all Israelite
men were required to go up to the tabernacle (later to the temple at
Jerusalem). These are marked with a ‡. The months are given
according to the Hebrew calendar. I deal with each in the order that they
came during the yearly calendar. (1) ‡Unleavened Bread, a week-long event
(which immediately followed the Passover supper held the preceding night) in
the middle of the 1st month, at the beginning of the barley harvest (Lev
23:5–14) (about the time of our Easter) (2) ‡The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), fifty
days after the first sabbath of Unleavened Bread, celebrating the season of
the wheat harvest (Lev 23:15–21; Ex 34:22) (3) The Feast of Trumpets on the 1st day of the 7th month,
the civil New Year's day. (4) The Day of Atonement on the 10th day of the 7th month,
the cleansing of the Temple. (5) ‡The Feast of Ingathering, or the
Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, in the middle of the 7th month, at the close
of the olive and fruit harvest (Lev 23:34–44; Deut 16:13) (This occured only
a few days after the Day of Atonement which was celebrated on the 10th day) What did these festivals mean and why do Christians
feel that we should not keep them.? (1) ‡The Feast of Unleavened
bread: The night before this feast every family celebrated the Passover in
their homes. The Passover ceremony was celebrated in this way: Each family (or if the family was a small one, several families) slew
the Passover lamb and ate it along with bread that was made with no yeast
(leaven). Yeast, in Bible times, represented sin because sin, like yeast when
put in dough, fills the entire person. John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) and Paul points out that
"Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Cor. 5:7).
Since Christ is the Lamb who was sacrificed and His sacrifice has already
taken place, then there is no need to celebrate the Passover feast that
pointed forward to the coming of God's Lamb who would take "away the sin
of the world!" (John 1:29) Unless you want to obey Christ. Christ said to observe Passover in remembrance of Him. See Luke 22:19-20 and I Corinthians
11:24-25, where Paul repeats what Christ said, perhaps to make sure
people would have no excuse to say there is no need to observe the commanded
feast of Passover. In fact, the exact hour that Jesus died was the time for the slaying
of the Passover lamb in the Temple. Matthew 27:51 describes how the
"curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth
shook and the rocks split." Tradition has it that the Passover lamb
escaped from the grasp of the priest and ran away. Jesus gave us the communion service of bread and wine to commemorate
His death (Matt. 26:26-35). For Christians, the Lord's supper has taken the
place of the Passover. The Lord’s Supper is the Passover. Now as far as “communion service,” Jesus
didn’t give it. Man’s traditions have
taken the place of Jesus’ commanded yearly memorial of His death. Christ’s disciples and true Christians of
the early church kept Passover. In
135 A.D. the Romans took over Jerusalem and the Church, and they started
substituting the pagan festival of Easter for God’s Passover. In about 154 A.D. Polycarp, a disciple of
John, who had kept the Passover with John and the other apostles, left Asia
and went to Rome to discuss the apostasy of replacing Passover with the pagan
Easter. Then Polycrates, a disciple
of Polycarp (who was apostle John’s disciple) wrote toward the end of the
second century: "We for our part keep the day scrupulously, without addition
or sub- traction. For in Asia great luminaries sleep who shall rise again on
the day of the Lord's advent, when He is coming with glory from heaven and
shall search out all His saints -- such as Philip, one of the twelve apostles
. . . Again there is John, who leant back on the Lord's breast, and who
became a sacrificing priest wearing the mitre, a martyr, and a teacher; he
too sleeps in Ephesus. Then in Smyrna there is Polycarp, bishop and martyr .
. . and Thraseas, the bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who also sleeps in
Smyrna. Need I mention Sagaris, bishop and martyr, who
sleeps in Laodicea, or blessed Papirius, or Melito the eunuch . . . . ALL
OF THESE KEPT THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH AS THE BEGINNING OF THE PASCHAL FESTIVAL, IN ACCORD- AND WITH THE GOSPEL, NOT DEVIATING IN THE
LEAST BUT FOLLOWING THE RULE OF THE FAITH. Last of all, I too, Polycrates, the least of you all, act
according to the tradition of my family, some members of which I have
actually followed; for seven of them were bishops and I am the eighth, and my
family have always kept the DAY WHEN THE PEOPLE PUT AWAY THE LEAVEN.
So I, my friends, after spending sixty-five years in the Lord's service and
conversing with Christians from all parts of the world, and going carefully through all Holy
Scripture, AM NOT SCARED OF THREATS. Better people than I have said: 'We must
obey God rather than men'" (Eusebius, The History of the Church
from Christ to Constantine, p.231).
In the fourth
century, Constantine put an end to the controversy, and along with
instituting Sunday as a counterfeit substitution for God’s Sabbath day; he
instituted the pagan sun festival Easter in place of the Lord’s Passover. The Greek word for "supper" is dipnon.
The verb form is dipneo. In every case, this refers to a festive
meal, not a small piece of bread and a little wine, but a large filling
meal. Satan has deceived the whole
world (Rev. 12:9). If a person would
just follow the simple Word of God, then there would not be any confusion. Never did Christ say to have “communion”
weekly, monthly, quarterly, or any other time but the 14th day of
the month of Nisan (Greek) or Abib (Hebrew) at twilight. The only way a person could get anything
else out of the bible is if he or she added and twisted and took out of
context. The day after the Passover–the very next day–was the beginning of the Feast
of Unleavened Bread. The prohibition of the use of yeast, as practiced the
night before at the Passover celebration, continued for seven days after the
Passover. The first day was a ceremonial sabbath. (When this sabbath fell on
the weekly Sabbath, the Pharisees of the time of Christ called it a
"high day.") Just as with the weekly Sabbath, no one was allowed to
work on this day. This sabbath (first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread) was a
sabbath of rest, pointing forward to the rest that the Lamb of God
experienced in the grave on the day following His crucifixion. On the day after this ceremonial sabbath the priest waved a sheaf of
barley–the first fruits–before the Lord. This symbolized the beginning of the
harvest season. This action pointed forward to the resurrection of Christ
after the Sabbath, and His brief ascension to His Father to receive His
approval of the sacrifice of His Son. 1 Cor 15:3, 4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first
importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 1 Cor 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits
of those who have fallen asleep. There is no need for Christians to participate in
this festival because the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to which
it points have already taken place. The feast has become obsolete. Christ never abolished this festival,
either. We are to continue to
celebrate this feast to remind ourselves to remove sin out of our lives and
to obey God’s commandments. Christ
was the first of the firstfruits. True Christians will be raised in the
first resurrection and will be the remainder of the firstfruits. After the second resurrection, all who
have not been called will be given God’s Spirit and shown the truth
(Revelation 20:12; Ezekiel 37:14; Isaiah 65:20) and be given a choice to obey
God. All who reject the truth will be
thrown into the lake of fire. (2) ‡The Feast of Weeks, later called Pentecost,
took place 50 days after the waving of the sheaf. This festival celebrated
the beginning of wheat harvest. The day of Pentecost, 50 days after Christ's resurrection, marked the
beginning of the harvest of Christ's work. It was preceded by the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17, 18). There's no need for Christians to
celebrate this feast because the reason for the feast came to pass when the
disciples began the harvest of souls in earnest. The disciples were certainly ignorant that this feast was
abolished. They were keeping this
feast in Acts 2, and the Holy Spirit was given to them, and the church was
born. This day reminds us that this is not the only day of salvation.
God is working with a small group of people that He calls the
"firstfruits." (3) The Feast of Trumpets A feast celebrated on the 1st day of the 7th month (Ethanim, or
Tishri), the beginning of the civil year. This 1st day fell on the "new
moon" of September or October. This month was always numbered the 7th
(see Lev 23:24), according to God’s instructions to Moses to begin the year
with the Passover month of Abib (Nisan), as the 1st month (see Ex 12:2); yet
the year was still reckoned as beginning with Tishri for civil matters.
Tishri 1 was marked by extra sacrifices in addition to the new-moon
sacrifices of the other months (Num 29:1–6). It was a ceremonial sabbath, and
was celebrated by the blowing of trumpets (Lev 23:24, 25). The tradition of
the Jews is that on New Year’s Day (celebrated to this day as Rosh Hashana)
everyone is judged for his deeds of the past year, but that one’s doom is not
settled until the 10th, on the Day of Atonement, apparently after 9 days of
grace (Talmud Rosh Hashanah, 16a).1 Christians don't celebrate the Feast of Trumpets for two reasons: 1)
The first day of Tishri is not our New Year's day. 2) This day's intimate
attachment to the Day of Atonement. We can’t go about making our own rules, adding, and taking
away from God’s commandments. The Romans have their own
pagan solar calendar, with pagan names for months and days of the week. True Christians still recognize
God’s calendar. He never gave man
permission to replace his calendar.
That’s just another one of Satan’s accomplishments. I would much rather celebrate God’s
New Year’s Day than man’s New Year’s day, with all its drunkenness and
immorality. Of course, God's new year's day is the first day of Abib. It just so happens the Jews today start their civil new year on the feast of trumpets, which is the first day of Tishri, but this has nothing to do with God's purpose of the holiday. Number 2, the Day of
Atonement is also one of God’s feast days, and it’s a sad shame that
there are some who hate it. (4) The Day of Atonement. This day occured on the tenth day of the seventh month, the most
solemn day of the year. On it all were not only to refrain from work but also
to afflict their souls (make sure that all their sins were confessed) (Lev
23:27–32). This probably included fasting, since in NT times it is evidently
this day that is referred to as "the fast" (Acts 27:9). On the Day
of Atonement all the sins of the preceding year were finally disposed of in
the ceremony of cleansing the sanctuary (Lev. 16). All who did not afflict
their souls on that day were cut off from Israel (Lev 23:29). The Day of
Atonement was to the Jews a day of judgment.1 On this day two goats were brought before the High Priest. He cast
lots over them to chose which one would be the Lord's goat. The other goat
was called the scape goat and was put aside. The Lord's Goat was killed and
sacrificed on the altar. Some of it's blood was taken into the innermost
room, called the Most Holy Place. The High Priest sprinkled some of the blood
on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant and some on the ground in front
it. As the High Priest left the Most Holy Place he wiped some of the blood
on the horns of the altar of Incense which stood before the curtain which
separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. In effect, he was taking
upon himself all the sins that the Israelites had confessed throughout the
year by bringing their animals for sacrifice in the Temple. Coming out of the Temple, the High Priest placed his hands upon the
head of the scape goat and confessed all the sins of Israel upon him. Then
the scape goat was led by a strong man out into the wilderness, where he was
let go—a fitting symbol of the removal of all sin from the nation. The Lord's goat represented Christ who died upon the cross as a
sacrifice for the sins of everyone who has ever lived. The High Priest
represents Christ in His role of our great Intercessor in Heaven. He brings
our names before the Father and proclaims that we have accepted Him as our
Savior. In effect, just like the Day of Atonement was a day of judgment, so
the great Day of Atonement in Heaven is a day of judgment for the people of
God (read the judgment scene as depicted in Dan. 7: 13, 14 ff). Christ will
decide whom, of all who have professed to be His disciples, has really
accepted Him and let Him reign in their hearts. When the judgment is finished, then Christ will come and reward His
servants for their faithfulness. Rev 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. This annual "day of judgment" prefigured the cosmic judgment
of all of God's people. Whoever refrains from, neglects, or refuses to repent
of his/her sins at that time will be cut off from God's people. The first part of the Day of Atonement has already taken place—the
Lord's Goat (Christ) has already been sacrificed for the sins of His people.
The second part—Christ, as our High Priest, entering the Most Holy Place of
the Temple in heaven, presenting His blood before the Father—is taking place
right now in Heaven. Christ is investigating the lives of all who have
professed to be His followers. Those who have been true to Him will be marked
as His people. Those who have not been faithful will be rejected. Soon Christ will finish this work and return to reward those who were
faithful to Him, by taking them to His eternal Kingom. So Christians don't celebrate the Mosaic Day of Atonement because we
are actually passing through the Great Day of Atonement right now. Perhaps
mainstream Christians don’t celebrate this feast day of the Lord’s, but law-keeping
Christians do keep this day. A
scapegoat (the goat in the previous passages quoted that was let go) modernly
means someone who is unfairly responsible for the mistakes of others. Satan is NOT (Although some
Bible versions use the word "scapegoat," Green's Literal
Translation more accurately calls it the "goat of departure.")
Satan will be held responsible for deceiving mankind into sinning. The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled
when Jesus Christ comes back to judge the Earth. When we fast on the Day of Atonement, it reminds us that God
supplies our needs. (5) ‡The Feast of Ingathering (the Feast of Booths or
Tabernacles) celebrated the ingathering at the end of the harvest,
particularly of the grain, olive, and grape harvests. It also reminded the
Jews of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. This was the last feast of the religious year and usually came during
our month of October, after the autumn harvest was over and the fruit had
been gathered in. It was a joyous occasion for all. The Day of Atonement was
past; all misunderstandings had been cleared up, all sins confessed and put
aside. The Israelites were happy, and their happiness found expression in the
Feast of Ingathering (Booths, or Tabernacles) Since the antitypical* Day of Atonement takes place before the coming
of Jesus, then this joyous feast, which comes at the end of the harvest,
would most likely represent the joy of God's people as they take their places
in the New Jerusalem. Their wandering in the wilderness of sin is past.
Eternal life in the heavenly Canaan will be the reward of God's people. *An object casts a shadow when standing in sunlight. The shadow is the
type, the object itself is the antitype. The Day of Atonement in the
ceremonial year is the type; the "investigative judgment" that
takes place before Jesus comes is the antitype. Another way to say the same
thing is: the Day of Atonement prefigured the judgment in the last
days. 1Horn, Siegfried H., Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Dictionary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association)
1979. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the
millennial reign of God’s Kingdom that Christ will set up when he returns. Then, there’s the last feast, which has
been neglected. The Eighth Day, as the bible says in Leviticus 23:36, “the eighth day.” The Feast of Tabernacles is seven days. This eighth day is another feast
day. As the Feast of Tabernacles
pictures the millennial reign of Christ, this day comes immediately
afterward. This pictures the Great
White Throne Judgment. See Revelation
20:11-15. Below is a sermon taken
from "Let There Be Light Ministries"
It is indeed a blessing to read. (You can view it here as well... http://www.lightministries.com/id321.htm
Christ was the foundation and antitype of the whole Jewish
economy of sacrifices, ceremonies, feasts, etc. All these symbols or
types pointed, as a shadow, to Christ. According to Paul, in Colossians 2:17, they ARE a shadow
(not were). When
He was crucified in 31 AD or "cut off" in the midst of the last
week--3 1/2 years after He had begun His gospel ministry--type met antitype.
Thus Christ caused the sacrifice, oblation, feasts, and all the other
types in the Jewish economy to cease to be literally kept and performed.
We must be very careful in adding to God’s Word!
My bible says Christ caused the sacrifices and oblations to
cease. He didn’t say anything about
ending the His feast days! We can’t
add to God’s Word to suit our own interests.
There is plenty of New Testament evidence that the apostles kept the
holy days/feast days. Shouldn’t
someone have told them they were mocking God, as we were told we were doing
by the man who wrote the article? These ceremonies and types
were given to point forward to Christ as being the Messiah. But since
Christ has already come, and type has met antitype, these types would only
possess spiritual significance, and not the command to be literally kept;
they would continue pointing to Christ, but would not bear the penalty of sin
if not literally kept. And any today who advocate that God's people
must literally resume keeping any of the Jewish economy's types, are actually
denying that Christ is the Messiah, the antitype of all in the Jewish
economy! I am not denying that Christ is the Messiah. I just understand his commands and God’s
plan of salvation, and some do not. Christ realized He was the
antitype of the Jewish feasts, etc., and hence, during His ministry, He did
not keep many of the feasts; yet Christ was not a commandment breaker--He was
"without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Whoa! He DID keep the feasts. Read your
bible. "As the sons of
Joseph made preparation to attend the Feast of Tabernacles, they saw that
Christ made no movement signifying His intention of attending. They
watched Him with anxiety. Since the healing at Bethesda He had not
attended the national gatherings." Desire of Ages, p 450. I notice this person chooses to quote an
uninspired book, instead of quoting the bible, the word of God.
"Christ was the foundation of the whole
Jewish economy, which was a symbol prescribed in type for the religious
faith and obedience of all people" Manuscript 130, November 27, 1901
(Manuscript Release #499, p 1). Is there a point being made here???
"We have yet to learn that the whole Jewish
economy is a compacted prophecy of the gospel. It is the gospel
in figures..." Manuscript 130, November 23, 1897 (Manuscript Release
#313, p 1). I don’t see the relevance in trying to abolish God’s feasts.
"They (Jews) did not realize that type met antitype in
the death of Jesus Christ....they could not see the perfect fulfillment
of the Jewish economy, instituted and established by Christ and pointing
to Him as the substance." Fundamentals of Christian Education, p
398. The Jews, in general, rejected Jesus as the Messiah, but
what does that have to do with the feast days? Christ kept them, and His apostles and all early Christians
kept them.
"Judaizing teachers were opposing the work of the
Apostle (Paul), and seeking to destroy the fruit of his labors.... "Thus the emissaries
of Judaism succeeded in alienating many of the Christian converts from their
teacher in the gospel. Having gained this point, they induced them to
return to the observance of the ceremonial law as essential to salvation....Christ,
the true foundation, was virtually renounced for the obsolete ceremonies
of Judaism." Life of Paul, p 188-90. I’ve read in my bible that they had a
fit over Christian adults not becoming circumcised; as that was always the
way proselytes started worshiping the God of Israel. Also, they wanted converts to follow the
Oral Law. This has nothing to do with
God’s feasts.
There were also differences between the feast sabbaths and
the seventh day Sabbath. On the feasts sabbaths booths of tree branches
(during the feasts of tabernacles) could be built (Leviticus 23:39-42).
Or you could prepare or cook your food (Exodus 12:14-20). But on
the seventh day Sabbath not even sticks were to be gathered (Numbers
15:32-36). Also on the seventh day Sabbath all of you food was to be
prepared and cooked on the sixth day, or the preparation day, before the
seventh day Sabbath (Exodus 16:33). Also the feast sabbaths were
written by the finger of Moses and placed in the side of the ark of the
testimony (Deuteronomy 31:26) showing that these were temporary. While
the seventh day Sabbath was written by the finger of God and placed in the
middle of the ark of the testimony underneath the mercy seat (Exodus 30:5 and
Exodus 40:20) showing that these were eternal. So clearly the feast
sabbaths and the seventh day Sabbath are not the same. The feast sabbaths
were a shadow or type to be done away with at Christ's death, while the
seventh day Sabbath was not a shadow but was to continue on after Christ's
death. The law for an
unmarried man raping an unmarried woman was not on the stone tablets. Does that mean it has been done away? Bestiality is not mentioned in the Ten
Commandments, either. Neither are the
dietary laws. Have they been done
away? Of course NOT. The Ten Commandments are a summary. They have statutes. True Christians will follow them. Yes, indeed God is merciful in allowing
cooking for some of the feasts. It
sure would be difficult to prepare your meal seven days ahead of time! It’s wonderful that we have a loving,
understanding God. They are indeed
shadows. ARE is the key
word. But, then again, so are the
weekly Sabbaths. Every true Christian
knows the weekly Sabbath foreshadows the 1,000 year rest. God’s plan is laid out over 7,000 years. We’re in the six-thousandth-years-period
now. God’s week is seven days (seven
is the number of completion). The
seventh-day Sabbath foreshadows the millennial rest. The weekly Sabbath, monthly new moons
(month comes from moon), and annual holy days ARE all shadows
(Colossians 2:17). And yes Paul did state,
"Let us keep the feast" (1 Corinthians 5:8). But keep it,
how? Literally or spiritually? It was not literally but
spiritually because he continues, "Neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
Isaiah
prophesied that Jesus would come and magnify the law and make it honorable
(Isaiah 42:21). He came and did just
that. We see in Matthew that Jesus
magnified the law, clarifying it. He
said to lust after a woman is committing adultery. To be wrongfully angry at one’s brother is murder. Keeping the letter (keeping it literally)
would be a man not having sexual intercourse with a woman other than his
wife. Keeping it spiritually would be
not lusting after a woman other than his wife. Now, could a man keep that law spiritually without keeping it
literally? Could a man cheat on
his wife by having sex with another woman, and be keeping the law spiritually
by not lusting after that woman with his mind? Could a person beat his friend to death and still be keeping
the law spiritually to do no murder?The
feasts are commanded by God to help remind us of his plan! When we celebrate Passover, we remember
that Jesus died and shed his blood for us.
When we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, we keep in mind that Jesus
is coming back to set up his Kingdom during the millennium. And yes Sister White
writes that well would it be for the people of God at the present time to
have a feast of tabernacles (Patriarchs and Prophets, p 540). But was
she stating that we should keep this feast today literally or spiritually? The
whole context here is the great benefit that the children of Israel received
because they associated together. So she said, "We sustain loss
when we neglect the privilege of associating together to strengthen and
encourage one another in the service of God and we decline in
spirituality." Patriarchs and Prophets, p 540-541. Ellen White did not
advocate keeping the feast days literally today, but advocated not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together on other days than just the Sabbath day.
She referred to the blessings received when God's people associated
together anciently as an example. That is why she states in
Testimonies, vol 6, p 39-40 that the holy convocations today for God's people
are not the literal convocations or feast days of ancient Israel but are the
camp-meetings. So camp-meetings for God's people today are the
equivalent of the feast days, or the holy convocations, of ancient Israel. I think this is what it all boils down
to here. It doesn’t matter what Ellen
G. White said or did! It doesn’t matter whether she advocated feast
days! What does matter is what
God says. God DOES advocate the feast days. Are we following Ellen G. White, who only part of the time knew
what she was talking about, or are we following God and what HE says? People who align their religion after
people are not going to understand what the bible teaches! People who are following God with all
their hearts and have repented of their sins (transgression of the law-- I
John 3:4) and are daily reading their bibles (Ellen G. White didn’t
write any of it, by the way), while putting aside preconceived notions and
traditions of men, will understand.
Now some will then state that it was only the animal
sacrifices or offerings that were done away with and that is why we still
keep the feast days today. But circumcision was not an animal
sacrifice, nor was it an offering. It was a law or type to be performed
just like the feast or other non-sacrificial types until the anti-type came. And
after Christ's death circumcision then took on a spiritual meaning, meaning
to circumcise your hearts. And the same with the feasts. They are
very important spiritually today, pointing to Christ as the Messiah and His
ministry, but are not literally to be kept under the penalty of sin. Wrong again! Circumcision did not take on a new
meaning after Christ’s death.
Deuteronomy 10:16 states, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your
heart, and be no more stiff-necked.”
This was nothing new. See also
Deut. 30:6. So just like with the law
of circumcision being advocated anciently, if any come unto you today telling
you that, Ye must keep the feasts and keep the law, they are only troubling
God's people with words, and are trying to subvert and Judaize souls. And
you can quote to them the same words in Galatians 5:1, 2 that you are to
stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free and that you are
not to be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. "And behold I
say unto you that if ye keep the feasts Christ shall profit you
nothing." There is no harm in transposing the word feasts for
circumcision because it's the very same principle found in Galatians 5:1, 2.
If any one today keeps the
feasts Christ shall profit you nothing, and your spiritual exercises are an
affront and insult to God! Judaize nothing! There is one law for everyone. Read Numbers 9:14; 15:15, 16, 29; Levitcus
16:29; 17:8, 10,12,13; 20:2; 22:25; 24:16, 22; Isaiah 56:1-7 It shall profit me nothing?
When a person who is rebellious against God’s feasts, that person will not undertand. I’m insulting
God by obeying his commands???
Rather, I think those who obey are trying to be made
to feel bad for obeying by those who do not want to obey. They’d rather twist God’s Word and totally
ignore it than to risk losing friends, family, and jobs when they start
obeying God by keeping his feast days. "...Christ
discharged His disciples from the cares and burdens of the ancient Jewish
obligations in rites and ceremonies. These no longer possessed any
virtue; for type was meeting antitype in Himself, the authority and
foundation of all Jewish ordinances... "It was Christ's
desire to leave to His disciples an ordinance that would do for them the very
thing they needed--that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and
ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which the
reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue
these rites would be an insult to Jehovah." Bible Commentary,
vol 5, p 1139-1140. I suppose God’s wonderful feast days
would be a burden to someone who wants to use that time for their own
pleasures, but to those who love God and keep His commandments, they are a
blessing.
Anciently, each feast day occurred at a specific time each
year, and corresponded to the work of the high priest in either the first or
the second apartment of the sanctuary. There was to be no feast day
which overlapped onto another feast day (i.e. the feast of Tabernacles being
celebrated during Passover), but each had their specific set period
corresponding to the sanctuary service. Since Christ, our High Priest,
has entered into the second apartment, or the most holy place, in the
heavenly sanctuary, signaling that we are now in the antitypical day of
Atonement, then for anyone to advocate that we should keep any other feast
day during this antitypical day of Atonement, are seeking to overlap feast
days. This all must come from Ellen G. White’s writings or
some other man’s (or woman’s) writings.
It certainly is not found in the bible. Thus
they are actually denying that we are in the antitypical day of Atonement,
and are declaring that Christ is no longer interceeding in the most holy
place! So today, there are to be no feast days celebrated while Christ
is interceeding in the most holy place during this antitypical day of
Atonement! But after Christ's ministerial work is ended, and the
antitypical day of Atonement is ended, and we are living on the new earth,
there is recorded that we will resume keeping certain feast days--such as the
feast of the New Moon (see Isaiah 66:23). Isaiah
66:23 indeed show that the weekly Sabbath and new moons are still in
force. How could they not be? God’s calendar hasn’t been abolished. There are still weeks, months, and
years. However, I see that the
prophecy of Zechariah 14:16 has been neglected. This prophecy shows that anyone who does not keep the feast
of tabernacles during the millennium will be PUNISHED. Also, countless verses in the New
Testament have been neglected that show that Jesus kept the feasts and the
apostles kept the feasts, even after Christ’s death. Furthermore, historical evidence shows
that the early church continued to keep God’s feasts, until Satan had weeded
them out, including the weekly Sabbath.
Now, mainstream “Christianity” keeps Sunday, Christmas, Easter, etc.
instead of Sabbath, Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, etc. Besides, we are in
captivity and strangers in this world until Christ comes to free us and take
us to heaven, and then give us the new earth after the wicked are forever
destroyed by the cleansing fire of God. Anciently, the Jews could not
keep the feasts while under captivity, but resumed after they were freed and
in their promised land. The same today! No one has gone to heaven but Christ, and no one else is
going! We shall inherit the earth.
There is countless Scriptural proof of this, and not one verse that says
anyone is going to heaven. This is a
deception from Satan! What apostasy! "During the captivity
of the Jews, they could not be observed; but when the people were restored to
their own land, the observance of these memorials was once more begun."
Desire of Ages, p 447. Here we go again, quoting Ellen G.
White. The bible is totally neglected. God’s word is what matters.
Do you want to be held in bondage to the types in the Jews
religion and continue hindering the gospel of Christ, or do you want to be
free in Jesus Christ--the Antitype--and work to spread the true gospel and hasten
the coming of our Saviour? How
could keeping God’s feast days put anyone in bondage? How could it hinder the gospel? It outlines the gospel by picturing the
plan of salvation, starting with Christ and ending with the Judgment! "Some in the church
were still striving to mold Christianity after the old customs and ceremonies
that were to pass away at the death of Christ....They saw that they had been
held in bondage by the Jewish customs and traditions, and that the work of
the gospel had been greatly hindered..." Life of Paul, p 211 The Jewish Christians were following
God’s laws, like they were supposed to.
This “bondage of customs and traditions” sounds more like what was
going on with some of the Gentiles, rather than Jews. The Galatians (Gentiles) had gone back to
their pagan festivals. Galatians 4:8
says, “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto
them which by nature are no gods. (9)But now after that ye have known God,
or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly
elements, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage?” In other words, Paul is asking this group of Gentiles why they
desire to turn back to their pagan customs that they kept before they knew
God, the services they did unto their (pagan) gods. Before they knew God, would they have been
keeping God’s feasts? No, of course
not. They didn’t even know the God of
Israel. Verse 10 says, “Ye observe
days, and months, and times, and years.”
Notice what God says in Deuteronomy 18:14: “For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers
of times, and unto diviners: but
as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.” Also see Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 18:10, II Kings
21:6, and II Chronicles 33:6. When
Jesus commanded us to observe God’s commandments in Matthew 23:3, the Greek
word for observe is tereo. The word
for observe that Paul used is paratereo.
Para means, “false or alternative.”
We use the prefix in our English language. For example, paralegal is not a real lawyer (they assist the
lawyer), a paramedic is not a real doctor (they assist the doctor), and
paranoia is a false feeling of suspicion.
Christmas time is an example of a “time.” An example of a day is All Saint’s Day (Halloween), an example of
a month is January is the month of the pagan god Bacchus, and an example of a
year is the Olympic games, which fall on certain years. We must remember that Paul is twisted more than any other
person’s writings. Peter warned us of
this. II Peter3:16, “…which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest (twist), as they do also the other scriptures, unto
their own destruction. Paul kept
the holy days, just as all the other apostles did, and he taught others to do
so. Jesus kept the holy days, and we
are to walk as he walked (I John 2:6).
Feast Days/Holy Days outlined in Leviticus 23. |
